


Lucky Number 7

by miraculouslarrypotter



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien - Freeform, F/M, Ladybug - Freeform, Ladybug Reveal, Marinette - Freeform, Marinette Dupain-Cheng - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug Reveal, Miraculous reveal, adrien agreste - Freeform, chat noir - Freeform, miraculous - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 11:32:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18498091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraculouslarrypotter/pseuds/miraculouslarrypotter
Summary: Written by L





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written by L

“Excuse me m’lady.”

Seven years.

That’s how long it had been since the last time Marinette had been called that name.

As she stood in the busy streets of New York with people pushing past her from every direction and coffee dripping down her once clean shirt, Marinette saw nothing but the man in front of her.  _Could it be him?_ No. This man was American, there wasn’t a single possibility it could be him. But even so, Marinette couldn’t help but wonder if the person standing in front of her was the boy who she fought endless battles with many years ago.

“Hey are you okay?”

Marinette snapped out of her day dream and turned her attention to the stranger who had just run into her, causing her to spill her coffee all over the top that she had designed herself.  

“Pawsitively purrrrrfect,” Marinette nervously laughed trying to get a reaction out of him.

The man’s expression instantly changed from one of concern to confusion as he muttered “Weird,” and walked away.

 _Well I guess that answers that question._ But as Marinette rushed off towards work, she was transported back to a time when her days were filled with keeping Paris safe with her favorite sidekick, Chat Noir.

The night they defeated Hawkmoth was a night of celebration and sadness. She remembered the shock that spread through Paris when they removed Hawkmoth’s miraculous and revealed Gabriel Agreste. Ladybug and Chat Noir were so stunned that they couldn’t even pound fists over their final battle together. Chat had taken her hand and they walked away from all the madness as the authorities and news teams started to roll into the scene. They jumped from rooftop to rooftop until they reached a place where they could watch the arrest unfold without the noise and chaos. As they sat on the edge of the roof they let their silence consume the subject that they wanted to avoid at all costs.

“Listen, I don’t want to talk about Hawkmoth,” Chat Noir shifted to look at her. “We only have a few minutes left before we detransform and I don’t want to say goodbye yet.”

“Chat, I- “

“I already know, you don’t want to reveal our identities and I respect your wishes, but I just want to see you one more time because I’m going to miss you Bugaboo.”

Marinette reached over and took his hand “I will meet you on the top of the Eiffel Tower at midnight, after we’ve had a chance to recharge.”

Chat’s face broke into one of his classic grins for Ladybug and he stood up as his ring gave its final warning beep. “See you then m’lady.” Marinette watched him use his baton to propel him into the night.

But their last meeting never happened because on her way to meet Chat Noir, Marinette ran into Master Fu.

“Marinette, it pains me to tell you that it is time to return your miraculous. I can’t take the chance of losing anymore and having a repeat of the Hawkmoth situation again. Take a minute and say your goodbyes to Tikki.”

Marinette was speechless, she couldn’t believe that in an instant her entire second life would be gone forever. And Chat…she would never get to see her best friend one last time. She said a tearful farewell to Tikki and returned her to the guardian of the kwamis.

“Marinette, as you probably figured out by now I already collected Chat Noir’s miraculous and he asked me to give you this letter.”

Marinette took the letter and returned to her home to read it. She could still recite every word to this day.

_To my dearest Bugaboo,_

_The past 2 years of my life have only been made bearable because of the time I was able to spend with you. I loved making you laugh with my meowful puns and my purrrfect flirting. But I need you to know I wasn’t just trying to make you laugh. I always meant what I said because I care about you Ladybug. I think you know what I mean by that, but you deserve it hear it in person._

_So let me tell you face to face._

_I don’t want to say goodbye to you, my best friend. I never wanted to reach the day we defeated Hawkmoth because I knew I would lose you forever. But we don’t have to lose each other. You can still meet me tonight but without the masks. I’ve lost so much tonight, please don’t make my list any longer._

_-Your kitten_

Marinette didn’t know what to do, but she knew she couldn’t sit still, so she walked over to the park across from their parent’s bakery and sat on a bench. It was dark, but she could barely make out the shape of someone sitting at the fountain with their head in their hands. As she walked towards the fountain, they looked up and Marinette instantly recognized the green eyes that were filled with tears.

“Adrien? Is everything ok?”

“No, actually my life is currently spiraling out of control. You might not have heard yet but my father was just arrested tonight after Ladybug and Chat Noir revealed that he has been terrorizing Paris as Hawkmoth for the past two years.”

“Wow Adrien, uh I hadn’t heard that yet, but that’s awful! What is going to happen to your father’s company and you? What are you going to do now?”

“Well I have to wrap up some things here first, but then I need to leave Paris. There are too many bad memories here and believe it or not, but Marinette, you are one the only lights in my life here. I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too Adrien,” Marinette was to shocked to say anything else.

“Marinette, don’t give up on your designs. I know good fashion and so does my father, even if he did turn out to be Hawkmoth. He told me that you showed more promise than most of the top designers in Paris. I want you to promise you won’t abandon your gift.”

“I won’t.”

“Good. Maybe someday I’ll even wear your designs. Anyways, I’ve got to get going, but I’m so glad to have been your friend Marinette. Goodbye.” Adrien gave her a hug and then walked away.

Marinette waited until he had turned around the corner and then she sunk to the ground and cried for her first love. It wasn’t fair. She lost Adrien, Tikki, and her Chat Noir all in one night. She had never felt her heart physically hurt as much as it did that night. Her cellphone ringing awakened her from her grieving.

“Hello, Maman?”

“Marinette, honey, where are you? It’s 1 o’ clock in the morning and your father and I didn’t know where you were.”

“IT’S ONE O’ CLOCK?! Maman I have to go, I forgot to do something, but I’ll be home soon. Love you, bye!”

Marinette hung up the phone and started running towards the Eiffel tower without thinking. She was going to find her best friend; she needed him more than anything right now. She only hoped that she wasn’t too late. As she breathlessly reached the top of the tower she frantically searched for someone, anyone, but there wasn’t a single person in sight. And Marinette felt her heart break all over again. She watched the sunrise over Paris from the top of the Eiffel tower, but as the sun rose, her heart sunk.

After seven years, she still teared up thinking about that awful night. She had missed her last chance to meet the one person who knew her secret. The one person who knew who she really was at the core of her being. But she couldn’t stay stuck in that sadness, so she channeled her inner Ladybug into building her own fashion empire and she ended up in New York City running her own company.

But where had it all left her?

Covered in coffee and walking into work, heart hurting at the thought of her long lost friend.

Marinette couldn’t focus the entire day. She accidentally tore a new design, shredded important papers, and spilled more coffee on herself. Why couldn’t she shake herself out of this funk?

That night Marinette sat down at her computer and did something she promised herself she would never do. She opened up Google and entered ‘ladybug and chat noir’. Instantly her screen was filled with the familiar masked face that she knew too well. It had been seven years since she had seen that face and before she realized what was happening, Marinette felt tears start to slide down her cheeks.

Oh, the things she had missed the past the past seven years. She missed his names for her. She missed his ability to make her laugh like no one in the world could. She missed his green eyes that pierced through her soul, even through a computer. She missed the feeling of his strong arms around her carrying her away from danger. How many times had he thrown himself in front of her to take the hit, so that she could save the day with her lucky charm? She missed the support of her best friend, and yes she missed the terrible puns too. But most of all, she missed his love for her.

Chat Noir had never told Ladybug, but Marinette knew. She would never forget the look on his face when he told her that he loved Ladybug. His love was genuine and Marinette hadn’t realized that all of the flirting and teasing was real until that night.

As she looked back on all of her times with Chat Noir, she saw it all in a different light. It had only taken her seven years to realize how much she missed him. No,  _miss_ wasn’t strong enough of a word to describe the way she felt. She longed for Chat Noir in a way she had never wanted someone before. And then it hit her like a ton of bricks. How had she not realized it before?

Marinette gasped and whispered, “I love him.”

Ever since that first battle against Hawkmoth. She continued to scroll through the pictures and began to see the love in her eyes for her sidekick. It had been there all along, but she was to preoccupied with her crush on Adrien to recognize what real love was. Sure, Marinette would always hold a special place in her heart for Adrien, but that was just puppy love. What she felt for Chat was so much more.  He was her friend, partner, protector, helper, supporter, and shield.

Marinette thought about the night when she found out Chat Noir was in love with her. She had been so shocked that she didn’t realize the only reason they defeated Glaciator was because he recognized they were in love so he wasn’t able to turn them into ice cream. When they fought Dark Cupid and Ladybug kissed Chat Noir, the evil had only been overcome because it was a true love’s kiss.

There was only one problem; she didn’t know who her masked hero was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by L

Marinette tossed and turned all night. She couldn’t process that she had been so oblivious and ended up losing the one great love of her life. The person she was destined to be with. The Yin to her Yang.  _WAIT!_  Marinette jumped out of bed.  _That’s it, yin and yang._ There was one person who knew more about yin and yang than anyone else she knew, and Marinette had to go see him.

Before she knew what she was doing, her bag was packed, she was out the door, and hailing a taxi. Some of her Ladybug luck must have carried over all of these years because she was able to book a last minute flight to Paris and in no time she was boarding the airplane. As she flew above the ocean, Marinette frantically emailed her business partners and staff making excuses for why she wouldn’t be returning to New York for at least a week. Her mind and heart were racing at the thought of what was to come. Something about returning home for the first time in seven years made her so anxious that she was sick to her stomach.

“Alright folks, we are about 10 minutes from landing if you will return to your seats and buckle up.”

Marinette looked out her window and as her beloved city came into view, her worries melted away. She was home. It was all she could do to keep herself from running off the plane and towards her parent’s bakery, but she weaved her way through the crowds towards the metro as patiently as she could.

The bell on the door rang out as Marinette burst in to the bakery. Tom and Sabine looked up from their pastry making and as their eyes met their daughters they dropped everything and ran to her.

“Marinette, what are you doing here? Honey you haven’t been home in- “

“Yeah, I know Maman, seven years. You never fail to remind me each time you visit me in New York.”

“Well no matter what the reason is, we are glad you came home Marinette.” Tom said as he wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter.

“I guess I just realized there was something that I left unfinished here and I know I can’t move forward in my life until I resolve this thing.” Marinette sighed. She pulled away from her parents embrace, “I have to get started on this right now, but I’ll be back to catch up with you all soon I promise.”

After Marinette had delivered her belongings to her old room, she set out to solve the mystery of her unknown love’s identity. She walked the familiar route towards Master Fu’s apartment, knocked on the door, and waited for a response. But there was none.

“Oh ma chére, are you looking for Mr. Fu?” An old woman hobbled her way down the hall towards Marinette.

“Yes, do you know when he will be back?”

The old woman’s face softened with look of heartache in her eyes, “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, but Mr. Fu passed away last week.”

“What? No!” Marinette was so shocked she couldn’t breathe. “I’m sorry, I have to go,” Marinette began to run away from the building with tears streaming down her face. This was it. Her last chance of ever finding out who Chat Noir had died along with the man who gave her the incredible opportunity to know him. She started to walked around her city that she had come to love as Ladybug; past Andre’s ice cream cart, underneath the Eiffel tower, around the Louvre, and through countless allies that she had transformed in. As she entered into the heart of their town, she began to hear what sounded like a party. When she grew closer and saw the huge crowd of Parisians lining the streets, the music playing, and a parade coming down the street.  _Of course,_ how could she forget, today was the anniversary of the day Hawkmoth had been defeated.

Marinette was the only person in the city who didn’t feel like celebrating. What should have been a day of winning had turned into a day of loss, and now all these years later she had lost the only person who knew her secret identity and her last connection to the miraculous world. She couldn’t stand to watch their happiness anymore, so she turned away and headed home.

By the time she arrived home she was numb to all her feelings of sorrow. As Marinette trudged up the stairs, her mother called out to her.

“Oh Marinette, a letter came in for you yesterday and I left it on your desk.”

“Thank you Maman,” Marinette forced the words out through her broken heart.

As she walked over to the desk, the letter came into view. Marinette’s mouth dropped open.

“From Master Fu?” she whispered.

Marinette opened the letter and began to read:

_Hello Marinette,_

_I hope you are doing well, it has been a while since I have seen you. Seven years to be exact. Well it seems my health is failing me and I fear I may not be on this earth much longer. That being said, I wanted to extend a final gesture of thanks to you for taking on the great duty of being Ladybug. I know it was hard keeping your identity a secret, especially with the friendship you had with Chat Noir. I spoke to him after you left Paris and I know he was so upset that you all missed your chance. I so wish I could tell you who he is, so that you could have your best friend back, but unfortunately I am sworn to secrecy as the keeper of the miraculous. By the time, you have read this, there will be a new keeper of the miraculous for my time has come to pass it on._

_As I cannot tell you who Chat Noir is, I will just have to tell you what I saw in the both of you. I was nervous at first that you all would butt heads, but when I saw him extend that small act of kindness for you. I thought to myself, “Those two were made for each other.” I know you often saw the part of him that joked around and made puns, but you also saw the other side of him that was kind and protective of his friends. He saw you for the superhero you truly are. If you look deep into your heart, you’ll find him. Look for him Marinette._

_Good luck in all your future endeavors, I’m sorry can’t be there to enjoy them._

_Master Fu_

“Look deep into your heart? What is that supposed to mean?” Marinette had never been so frustration and sad at the same time.

“Why couldn’t he just tell me? It’s not like it would matter anymore now that he’s dead!” Marinette sighed out of annoyance and anger. It was moments like this when she missed being able to talk to her precious Tikki whenever she wanted.

She had flown all the way out here to not find any answers and ended up even more confused about Chat Noir’s identity than she was when she left Paris. Marinette knew she wasn’t going to be getting any sleep tonight.

Marinette flopped onto her bed and looked up at the ceiling. She allowed herself to get absorbed into her thoughts of ‘what ifs.’

_What if I had let him tell me who he was? What if I had opened my eyes when we were trapped in that metal box? What if I had asked Tikki who he was? What if I had let him tell me he loved me? What if I told him I loved him back?_

_What if I had made it to the Eiffel tower in time?_

Seven years had passed and Marinette still regretted it to this day.

Which is why when she got up from her bed and headed out her door towards the Eiffel tower, she couldn’t stop herself.

Arriving at the Eiffel tower brought on a new wave of feelings and memories of the same night so long ago. The feelings came back stronger and stronger with each stair step. How she longed for the years back, so she could do it over. Just once.

Five steps left and she would be there. Back at the place where her heart truly broke for the first time. She took the last step and looked around at the empty platform that overlooked the city.

And then she saw him. The outline of the boy, well now man, that once made her heart beat out of her chest. The man who was always so kind to her in the midst of her crazy life. The man who went from a stranger to a friend the moment he gave her an umbrella.

As Marinette approached him, she could see he was sitting there with his head in his hands and his shoulders shaking.

“A-Adrien?” Marinette walked quietly to his side.

Adrien looked up slowly at her. Marinette saw the tears highlighting his bright green eyes, his red nose, and flushed cheeks. She had never seen Adrien like this before.

“Adrien, are you okay?” Marinette asked as she sat down on the bench next to him.

“Marinette?! Wow I can’t believe it’s you. Um, you kind of caught me at a bad time as you can see,” he let out an uncomfortable laugh. “Today marks seven years since my father was arrested and it always hits me pretty hard.”

“I completely forgot about that, you and I must be the only people not actually celebrating today.”

“I guess so, but it’s not just that. I also lost a couple of friends recently and losing my father makes me think of their absence in my life too.”

“I understand, today is not such a great day for me either. I just found out an old friend of mine has passed away and I didn’t even get to talk to him one last time.”

“Sounds like we both could use a peaceful night on top of the Eiffel tower, huh?” Adrien offered a half smile.

They let the silence surround them as Marinette looked into those familiar eyes that she had so often dreamt about.

“Anyways,” Adrien broke the silence, “It’s been so long, what are you doing here?”

“Oh I took a last minute flight to Paris early this morning because I guess… uh well I realized I left something here. But I found out some more information…regarding the uhhh circumstances around the thing I lost, and now I’ve lost it…forever.” Her voice broke on the last word. She cleared her throat in hopes that Adrien wouldn’t hear.

“I’m so sorry you couldn’t find it Marinette, is it something I could help you find? I’m free tomorrow!”

“I appreciate the offer Adrien,” she sighed, “but my flight leaves tomorrow morning. I’ll just have to make peace with the fact that I’ll never be as happy as I was with my kitty-UH MY SEWING KIT. My first sewing kit was sooo special to me and I’m sad I lost it. Yeah that’s it my sewing kit is what I lost.”

“Marinette, I know it’s upsetting to lose sentimental things like that, but you know you don’t need that sewing kit. You are already an amazing woman who knows how design a crazy good fashion line.”

Marinette’s heart melted. Even when he didn’t really know what she was talking about, he still was able to cheer her up.

“You know; you really are Super Marinette.”

Marinette breathed in sharply, being called her old high school nickname brought back all of her grief over losing the part of herself that was Ladybug. It was so nice to hear someone recognize her as a superhero again.

_Wait._

“Adrien, why did you start that nickname?” Marinette wondered out loud.

“Because you really are a superhero. I don’t know if you remember, but I told you, you’re like our everyday Ladybug. You look out for others and you stand up for them, but you’re also able to forgive which is something a lot of people can’t do. I still remember the first day I met you, when you thought I was out to get you with Chloe. You were so quick to show kindness to me and forgive me. OH and I’m still waiting to get my umbrella back.” Adrien teased as he nudged her knee with his.

Marinette giggled and blushed. She felt like she was back in high school again.

“THERE’S the Marinette I know!”

“Oh, and who is that girl?” she questioned him with a smile twinkling in her eyes.

“Just the girl who was so tongue tied and giggly that I couldn’t get through one single conversation with her-“

“Okay, okay I was embarrassing, but I was not  _that_ bad.”

“You didn’t let me finish…little did this girl know that I thought all the blushing and tripping into my arms was adorable.” Adrien’s voice was suddenly serious.

Oh if Marinette could tell her high school self what she was hearing right now.

“Haha very funny, I had a crush on you,” she kidded back. “What I want to know is, who were you really held your heart back then? We all knew you had some secret love, but we couldn’t figure out who it was.”

“Well back then, the circumstances were different and I was able to see this girl almost every day. We were a great team and I loved her from the moment I met her. I thought she might even love me too, but seasons change and I never saw my lady again.”

Marinette’s breath caught in her throat. Those words triggered a cascade of wild thoughts. Had he really just said that? It must be a coincidence. But as Marinette looked into those green cat-like eyes, she heard the words play over in her head just as if Master Fu had said them himself.  

_He saw you for the superhero you truly are. If you look deep into your heart, you’ll find him._

Looking back, she realized she wasn’t the only superhero in their high school. Adrien had been there protecting her from the rain and showering her with his kind friendship.

She looked at his face and searched his eyes, looking for her lost love.

“You know,” Marinette started timidly. “Maybe you can help me find my sewing kit after all. Seven years ago I was sitting here on this bench, I should have been here at midnight, but I was late. That’s why I’m here tonight, part of me hoped it would be here again.”

Adrien’s face contorted with confusion, and then relaxed as it finally hit him. Tears sprung to his eyes.

“Bugaboo?” Adrien whispered in disbelief.

“Chaton” Marinette answered back as tears of joy began to stream down her face.

Marinette jumped into Adrien’s arms and he held her tight letting out a sigh of relief. It was a long, tight hug that made up for the separation, for the lost hope of ever finding her best friend again, and for all the things she had never said to her Chat Noir.

Adrien pulled back his face so he could see hers, “I know I’m seven years late, but what I wanted to tell you was that I love you Marinette.”

“Yeah, I sort of realized yesterday that I loved you all along, that’s kind of why I flew all the way out here.”

“Wow, I’m really that irresistible? I’m feline purr-ty furr-tunate to have fallen for you.” Adrien smirked as he leaned in to touch his forehead against hers.

Marinette reached up her finger and pushed away his nose.

“Watch out kitty, just because I love you doesn’t mean I love the puns.”

“Don’t worry m’lady, I’m sure in another seven years you’ll realized you always loved them too.” Adrien winked at Marinette and there was a quick moment of silence where it hit them.

“We did it, we finally found each other,” Marinette laughed out of an overflow of joy.

Adrien stepped away and held out his fist, “Pound it?”

Marinette stuck out her fist to touch his, but Adrien grabbed her hand and pulled her into a kiss that had they had been waiting for for seven years.


End file.
